


chemically drawn closer to you

by indigomagnus (holly_violet)



Series: malec oneshots [5]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - No Powers, College, First Kiss, Flirting, Happy Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Hook-Up, M/M, Meet-Cute, Party, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Soulmate Undertones, discussion of past lives??, listen I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS, this set of tags is ALL OVER THE PLACE
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-07-09 02:47:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19880338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holly_violet/pseuds/indigomagnus
Summary: Alec never thought he’d be the last one left at a party, rather than his siblings, but yet, here he stands.(or, a human-au college party meet-cute)





	chemically drawn closer to you

**Author's Note:**

> WOAH this is the second thing i've posted today
> 
> I listened to Those Nights by Bastille, and this just kind of happened. That's where the title's from. Listen to the song for extra ~atmosphere~ I promise it's worth the extra effort.

Alec never thought he’d be the last one left at a party, rather than his siblings, but yet, here he stands.

For most of the night, he’s been trailing after Izzy and Jace, as they worked their way through every room and rather a lot of cups of cheap beer. As people started to trickle out, he lost them in the crowd of drunk college kids, and then looked for them for the better part of an hour, before realising that they left, probably piling into a cab and forgetting that he was even there.

He didn’t realise it was so late, until the lights came on and he realised that he was very conspicuously alone, standing tall and intimidating against the wall and holding the same untouched red solo cup that he’d been carrying around for about half an hour. Around him, one or two of the more responsible partygoers were picking up cans, turning on some of the lights, asking drunk strangers if they wanted them to call them an Uber. 

Spotting someone he vaguely recognised from high school and suddenly  _ desperately  _ wanting to hide, Alec power-walks through to a different room, where some people are still doing their utmost to keep partying. All the lights are off, apart from a string of Christmas lights and some stray glow sticks, and Alec finds a corner to blend into again, deciding it will be easier to stick around until he was sure his siblings had gotten home safely.

(He and Izzy have a rule that they always text each other after parties, even if Alec wasn’t even going, so that they know they’re okay afterwards. That rule, so far, has never been broken.)

Taking an uncertain step backwards to lean against the wall, Alec settles himself, nodding noncommittally along to the beat of the music. Ten minutes pass, and just as the rumble of a headache starts brewing in his temples, someone sidles up next to him and lets out a deep, almost world-weary sigh.

“As much as I love parties, I have to say, this one’s been subpar.” Alec turns his head, to find the source of the voice, and is rather taken aback.

Whoever this guy is, he’s gorgeous. Under the light of the flashing silver baubles hanging above his head, Alec can pick out dark eyeliner and something glittery on his cheekbones, hair spiked up, nails painted. The flashing colours are catching on the several rings adorning his fingers, curled around a cup which seems much too cheap for him, and now Alec is staring a little, and realises he hadn’t said anything. 

The man continues, either oblivious to Alec’s obvious checking-out, unperturbed by it, or entirely used to it. “You’ve got the right idea, handsome; standing at the side of the room and rolling your eyes is an excellent strategy.”

“Thanks, I think?” Alec manages, standing up a little straighter and running a hand through his hair. This was a move which Jace had told him drew attention to his biceps, and might make his shirt lift up a little, and if there was ever a time to try it out, now would be it. “I’m Alec.”

“Magnus. It’s a pleasure.” He —  _ Magnus — _ raises his eyebrows and runs a well-manicured nail down Alec’s arm, making an appreciative noise. “Even if you are blatantly showing off your muscles.”

“That’s— that isn’t what I was doing.”

“Yes, you were, but I’m  _ so  _ not complaining. And I’ve undoubtedly used that move in the past.” Alec lets out a snort of laughter. Magnus has to almost shout over the unnecessarily-loud music, and Alec gets an idea which  _ might  _ be a little too bold, but oh, hell, why not run with it.

“Want to go somewhere a little less—“ Alec gestures wildly at the room, “— full of people?”

Magnus looks like he’s taking a second to consider, before moving to settle a hand on Alec’s waist, letting his fingertips run unsubtly over his chest and abs. “Don’t see why not, pretty boy. Your place or mine?”

Oh. Oh, Alec has definitely implied something he didn’t mean to. Not that he  _ doesn’t  _ want to go home and (maybe? is that what Magnus thinks he means?) have sex with this crazy-attractive guy he’s just met, but he also kind of wants to get to know him.

“Uh, my apartment is, like, five minutes’ walk from here?”

“Yours it is, then.” Magnus takes his hand. “You’re tall, so I’m going to ask you to go ahead and make us a path through the crowd.”

“Yes, I am tall, thank you for noticing, let’s go.” Alec smiles his best, and Magnus winks almost conspiratorially, and Alec heads off, very successfully shouldering his way through the people in the densely-packed room. Once they were out, Alec pulled out his phone and flicked a text to Izzy.

“Who’s Izzy?” Magnus asks as they step outside into the chilly, faintly chimney-smoke-smelling night air.

“My little sister,” Alec replies as his phone dings with a semi-legible response. Knowing that Izzy’s home safe, he can focus on the here and now. “Do you have any siblings?”

“No, but I have a couple of friends who might as well be.” He launches into a story, of his found family, and it dawns on Alec that if this actually  _ is _ a hookup, it certainly doesn’t feel like any of the few he’s had before, because he could listen to Magnus talk (and  _ watch,  _ God, his eyes sparkle as he reminisces) for hours, and they haven’t kissed or anything else, and he’s floundering a little. He thinks he might have struck gold, meeting Magnus. (Possibly literally— he’s wearing rather a lot of it.)

At some point, as they walk, Alec slides an arm around Magnus’ waist. He hardly notices he’s done it until he has to step away to unlock the door to his apartment, and Magnus absently places his own hand on the spot where Alec’s had been resting. 

Conversation flows easily between them; they settle on the sofa with cups of hot chocolate (it is winter, after all). Alec learns that Magnus was born in Indonesia, and he’s a bit older than him, and he’s in pre-med. Alec gets to talk about his siblings, and his law degree, and how one of his professors wore a cowboy hat to a lecture once with no explanation (which earns him an ungraceful snort of a laugh, which Alec thinks is  _ adorable.) _

They fall quiet after a while, but it isn’t awkward at all, and he’s leaning against Magnus’ shoulder as  _ Brooklyn Nine-Nine  _ plays as background noise. Magnus plays with Alec’s fingers and turns toward him, and the look in his eyes is gut-wrenching.

Alec hardly believes that they only met a couple of hours ago, but the sun will be rising soon and he  _ knows  _ they’re going to part ways, as much as he doesn’t want Magnus to leave.

“You know,” Magnus says, his voice soft, “I kind of feel like I’ve known you before.”

“I get what you mean. Like, we— we’ve met in some other lifetime, or something,” Alec says, sounding almost incredulous, gesturing dramatically with the hand that isn’t holding Magnus’.

“You’re something special, Alexander.”

“I didn’t— I didn’t tell you that that was my full name.”

“I assumed.” Magnus shifts a little closer. “You’re also very handsome, If I hadn’t made that clear.”

“Coming from  _ you,  _ that’s highest praise. You’re beautiful.” Alec speaks with reverence, lets his eyes flick down to his lips, “I, uh. Would like to kiss you, if that’s alright.”

Magnus smiles. Nods an enthusiastic  _ yes,  _ and leans in, and then they’re  _ kissing,  _ and fireworks are bursting behind Alec’s eyes.

Magnus loops his arms around the back of Alec’s neck, curling his elegant fingers through his hair to pull him closer, letting out a little noise of satisfaction which sends a shiver down Alec’s spine. Magnus’ lipgloss tastes a little like strawberries, and the cheap wine they’d been drinking, and Alec kind of thinks he might die.

A few moments later, Magnus pulls away, a breathless laugh bubbling up from his throat.

“Well. That was— that was nice.” Magnus’ cheeks are flushed, and Alec is sure his are, too.

“I— yeah. Sparks.”

“Glad you felt it, too.” Magnus is still smiling, a little disbelievingly. “You know, I expected this to be a hookup, not an emotional experience.”

“It could  _ still  _ be a hookup. If you want. I mean, it’s almost daytime, if you have to go, but—”

“Alec, it’s Saturday. I don’t have to be anywhere today, if you don’t…” Magnus trails off, his voice lilting and almost singsong, suggestive.

“I was  _ supposed  _ to be meeting up with my brother, but he ditched me tonight and didn’t text, so I can cancel with almost no guilt.”

“Excellent.” Magnus said, pressing Alec down against the slightly-rough fabric of the couch and pressing his lips to Alec’s neck with a sudden, searing intensity.

Magnus’ mouth trails between his Adam’s apple, the hinge of his jawbone, the dip of his collarbone, as Alec slips a tentative hand under Magnus’ shirt.

Alec kind of doesn’t know what he did to end up here, but he’s thanking himself for whatever good deed got him this kind of karma.

As Magnus nips at a particularly sensitive part of his neck, and Alec makes a frankly  _ embarrassing  _ sound because of it, he nudges Magnus’ head upwards so he can kiss him on the mouth again, letting his lips fall open, and their shirts are pulled off in surprisingly fluid movements, before Alec pulls away with a gasp.

“I— have a bedroom? With a bed which is much more comfortable than this couch?”

“I’m good here, if it means I get to touch all of  _ this,” _ Magnus replies, as he trails his hands down Alec’s chest and abs, of which he has never been more proud. 

“Nah, c’mon.” Alec lifts up Magnus, who wraps his legs around Alec’s hips, hanging on for dear life. 

“At this point, you’re showing off,” Magnus says breathlessly, lacing his arms around Alec’s shoulders.

“You complaining?”

“Not at all, Alexander.” Magnus pulls him into another kiss, as Alec stumbles toward his bedroom, relying on his memory of what’s on his apartment floor, since his eyes are closed.

Once they step through, Magnus kicks the bedroom door shut with a slam. After all, the day is only young.

**Author's Note:**

> This didn't start out as having soulmate-y undertones, but here we are. Also, I don't know what it is. This took me unreasonably long to write for a 1.7k fic
> 
> I'VE NEVER BEEN TO A PARTY CAN YOU TELL
> 
> hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading, kudos and comments are always appreciated xx
> 
> my shadowhunters tumblr is [indigomagnus](https://indigomagnus.tumblr.com) if you're interested x


End file.
